Reviews

Greenwich Comedy Festival opening night

By his own admission, last time Stewart Lee played the Greenwich Comedy Festival marquee – in front of a beered-up crowd in 2010 – it was a disaster, and the gig had to be rescued by Daniel Kitson. But if he had second thoughts about returning, he slayed that demon at the opening night of this year’s event in the grounds of the National Maritime Museum, thanks to a virtuosic routine about the perceived wisdom that liberal comics wouldn’t dare tackle Islam in the same way they would lay into Christianity.

It’s a peculiar prejudice that he’s laid into before, but this extended routine – loosely based around an incident involving a woman in full niqab on the 149 bus – was a dazzling, hilarious display of manipulating audience’s sensibilities and thwarting their expectations. In turns evoking Roy Chubby Brown while defiantly telling the large sell-out crowd precisely why they are allowed to laugh because ‘I’m not an idiot and know what I’m doing.’

Indeed he does. He may have a superiority complex on stage, but he’s earned it. Under the guise of delivering the anti-Islamic stand-up he’s told people crave, he prompts examination of prejudice while taking brilliant side-swipes at the young plagiarist pretenders to his comedy crown, the crowd-sourced surveillance of Twitter, and his own reputation for pause-filled delivery. In fact, it is far more nuanced than that; for a minute or so getting laughs from hesitancy in a way not seen since Frankie Howerd’s day. It’s not all about the super-smart material – although clearly most of it is.

At the start of his headlining set, Lee promised us two routines: the called-for Islamophobia and 25 minutes entirely about urine purely, he claims, because if he heard about a comedian doing such a thing he would assume it was abysmal or brilliant – and he wanted to prove it could be neither.

He was possibly right. Even though the section was foreshortened, the fictional family catchphrases based around pee didn’t quite gain enough traction. But the mixed reaction opened the door for a masterful berating of he audience, holding us collectively responsible for real-life tragedies – with the exaggeration of blame played entirely deadpan.

Lee’s slot was prefaced by two other heroes of the alternative comedy scene, Tony Law and Josie Long, and held together with the skilful compering of ever-affable Ed Gamble. Not that he had to do too much at the start – this corner of South-East London has a fine reputation for audiences who mess with comics, thanks largely to Up The Creek and the Tunnel Club in their heydays – and the lies spun by ‘Noddy’ and ‘Big Ears’ got some instant laughs. Whether by luck or instinct, Gamble also unearthed two cops – one a police diver, the other an undercover officer who poses as a prostitute – which provided the sort of running gags any MC would hope for.

It’s fair to say the unabashed absurdity of opening act Tony Law was a tent-splitter – and he probably wouldn’t have it any other way. Playing to a much wider crowd than his natural audience, his nonsense garners huge laughs, but also some stony faces.

However anyone who comes onstage in way-too-snug onesie and carrying a trombone and a shopping bag is clearly not a comic who takes themselves too seriously, and there are gags at his own expense a plenty. He may be weird, but he’s also that archetype of the mainstream comedy ‘saying what we’re all thinking’. It’s just that what we’re all thinking is ‘that guy’s odd’ – though there’s more to his comedy than that superficial impression.

Long, like Law, performed edited highlights from her Edinburgh show, about her struggles to enter enter the successful relationship she believes she ought to have now she’s in her early thirties, especially given her inherently romantic nature. There’s a strong narrative structure to this, starting off with her stupidity in going to the wrong airport and weaving deftly around her own family and - making something of a departure for her, a sex story.

It’s not as overtly political as her reputation – save for a dark fantasy about doing away with Nigel Farage or the odd aside about the warped priorities of those who seek wealth above all else. But there’s something more subtle about reclaiming the ‘period joke’ from being an inaccurate slur against female comics. A strong ending for a warm, thoughtful, and funny routine.

Comments

Older Comments

Jon - 09/05/2012

Seen him three times and am a big fan of his style, which I'd describe as something along the lines of alternative with panache.

Jake - 22/02/2012

He is just brilliant, you will be guaranteed something different, not your conventional comedian, much, much better than that. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Kellie - 29/04/2011

This man is a comedy god. Quirky and creative he is genuinely hilarious every time and he just gets better and better. More!

Andy T - 08/04/2011

Absolutely brilliant! Very creative and utterly unique. I suppose if I had to compare him to anything, I'd say he's like the stand-up version of Family Guy - surreal with sharp insights and bizarre tangents that left me in stitches. I'd definitely recommend catching him if you haven't already.

Adrian Breeds - 27/03/2011

Abysmal - utterly clueless and less funny than an enema. By the time he finished his 15 minutes of drivel most of the room had emptied into the bar/toilets just to get away from the noise. Never, ever again.

Jack - 28/02/2011

This man is a genius and unbelievably funny.

Matt - 09/01/2011

Funniest freaking comedian out there. Personable and funny even if half of what he says is nonsense. Top, top comic.

Dan - 02/09/2010

The funniest comic I saw at the Edinburgh Festival this year. I'll definitely watch him again.

Ollie - 26/01/2010

Very silly... simply had to do a few stretches and had the audience in the palm of his hands... very funny without saying very much of his material. In a word, brilliant.

MrC - 30/11/2009

Enjoyed his opener for Stewart Lee this Sunday in liberal Salford. It was almost post-modern in its self-awareness. The irony was the reference to all the Manchester liberal having descended on the Lowry when barely half an hour later a proportion of the audience was baying for the blood of a deranged heckler at the main event!

Michael Monkhouse - 25/06/2008

Really weird and sometimes you don't know what the hell he's on about. Neither does he probably. Still funny though.

Charlie - 02/06/2006

Seen Tony at the Glee Club in Birmingham - this was the first time I had seen or heard of him - and I almost laughed my ass off! I couldn't tell you what he looks like due to the tears streaming from my eyes from laughing so much. Ace, totally ace

Leo - 29/05/2006

The guy his freakin hilarious. I could barely breath from the start when all he did was put a microphone in his mouth and make a funny noise. The guy is a comedy genius.

David - 26/05/2006

I saw Tony at a gig recently and thought he was fantastic. I love his off the wall sense of humour and he never fails to leave me doubled over with laughter. Can't wait to see what he comes up with for Edinburgh this year.

Phil Harrington - 10/04/2006

I have seen Tony Law twice and he was better the second time but still really really shit.He thinks putting a microphone in your mouth is so funny he did it four times The man is a waste of time and is basically biting on Harry Hill's style.

Sinead - 08/03/2006

Saw him last night - stomach still hurting from laughing. Totally mental, random, rambling sense of humour... best laugh I've had in ages. Intellectually superior to most of the audience who didn't seem to "get" everything, but they still enjoyed it. 100%. Ace. Love him.

Stefan - 26/02/2006

One of the best I'e ever seen, was so random but absolutely brilliant.

Dave - 26/02/2006

Awesome show! Barely had a chance to breath. Non-stop hillarity

Steve - 11/02/2006

I saw Tony at Jongleurs in Cardiff and he was brilliant. It took a couple of minutes to get going but he was very funny. I think he was too intelligent for many people in the audience.

David - 02/02/2006

Saw him at the Hyena in Newcastle. Brilliant! Great spontaneous feel to the show, I never stopped laughing

Cameron Ward - 22/12/2005

Brilliant.

Arnab Chanda - 27/11/2005

Brilliant, best in the UK, hands down.

Roger - 07/11/2005

Sorry but the guy came to our uni and was whitewashed by a member of the crowd. He ended up embarrassing himself in a slagging match. Comedians need to be a bit better than this to impress me.

Gary Smith - 25/10/2005

You can't pin down this guys act but when its that funny why bother? A must see.

Damon - 04/09/2005

He was ace. Really random.... Lovely. Super funny.

Kirsty - 24/07/2005

Oh my god this guy was brilliant! Watched him at the Glee Club last night and he was absolutely hilarious, had the crowd nearly wetting themselves.

David Archer - 15/07/2005

Saw him at Scunthorpe last night as part of a Best of Edinburgh show. Truly crap. Died on his feet. I hadn't a clue what the bloke was on about.

Rachel - 05/07/2005

Wonderful as ever last night in Torquay. Saw him 2 years ago in Newcastle and he never changes

James - 15/05/2005

Brilliant imaginative humour and excellent delivery

Tim - 15/05/2005

When I saw him last night, he seemed to have jetlag and not everyone warmed to the slow pace of his delivery. There were sparks of comic brilliance -I could have listened to him all night.

Ricky - 07/05/2005

On a night with 3 other top notch comics, Tow stood out from them all. I though I was watching the B*stard offspring of Hicks and Izzard. Anyway, Tony if you ever read this you owe me one funny bone , 'cause you broke mine. C'mon the Gay Russians

Jess - 14/04/2005

He was the funniest comedian to appear on Rove Live in a long time. I loved how he just kept talking and rambling about shiny things. What a crack up

Urusla - 07/04/2005

This comic is what would have happened if Keith Richards had picked up a microphone instead of a guitar.

Darren - 24/03/2005

An absolute genius. One of the funniest men alive.

John Smith - 14/02/2005

Saw him at Up The Creek on Saturday night - what a tosser! No idea, no good material, lost the crowd and was booed off

Robert H - 31/01/2005

Awesome

Andy H - 22/01/2005

Amazingly funny. Half the crowd were confused and kind of silent. I and many others were constantly laughing. A must for anyone with a quirky sense of humour

- 13/01/2005

Very surreal but with the undertone of a fine comedy mind. This guy is the comedy equivlent of Marmite. Worth seeing if only to question how far you can bend you imagination.

Ursula - 16/10/2004

Third time I've seen him, truly unique sense of humour, intelligent and extremely funny if you can step out of the real world for half an hour.

Graham - 03/10/2004

Random, imaginative and very funny.

atrick and Hilary - 01/10/2004

Heard him twice in Edinburgh in 2004 and he is the funniest comic I have heard since Eddie the King Izzard - all the big names were mediocre compared to this zany genius! P

Alex - 29/09/2004

Without doubt the funniest man I've ever seen.

Dave - 25/05/2004

Superb, great impression of a brachiosaurus and then a bloke on a brachiosaurus' back. Awesome.

Brien - 08/05/2004

Not very impressed. His material was not funny and he did not connect with the crowd.